It’s that time of year again. With a great summer and mild autumn, Christmas seems to have crept up on us and many of us are all going to be making a mad dash to get our presents bought. So, with the prospects of larger crowds, it might be a good idea to think about staying safe. For men, the advice is quite simple. When you go out, put your wallet in a pocket you don’t usually use. The slightly different feeling, will help to alert you if unwanted fingers come along looking to relieve you of your hard earned cash. With cash in mind, carry as little as possible. I know it’s easier to keep track of how much you are spending if using cash, but your kids won’t be happy on Christmas day if all you can afford is a tangerine! If you have difficulty remembering the pin to your card, don’t write it down. Put a false entry in your phone and place the pin somewhere in the false phone number. But make it look real! Ladies, make sure your handbag has a zip and preferably a covering flap that can be closed with a clasp of some kind. Make sure you close it completely with all features. If you are pushing a buggy, do not rest your hand bag on top where it is easy to snatch by someone passing. Use the bottom near the ground. It’s harder to snatch something subtly, if they have to bend down. If your bag is carried over your shoulder, wear the strap across your body and have a handbag with a thick strap. This will make it harder for the strap to be cut, no matter how sharp the knife. Do not carry information with your address anywhere you are carrying your keys. Keep the contents of your bag to the essential items you will need for the day. A bulging bag might be more of target as it suggests more to be had. On a similar level, designer bags may be more of a target as they suggest a richer owner with possibly more cash. Use a cheaper one instead if possible. So now we are safely shopping, if it is all in one go, there are inevitably going to be trips to the car to unburden the weight of all those precious new items. Please don’t leave bags of goodies on the seats. It’s an open invite for the window to be smashed and the items taken. Put everything in the boot and make sure it is covered. Don’t leave anything in the passenger area. Car windows have been smashed for such little things as a packet of cigarettes or a few CD’s and once they are in, they can pop the boot. When you are putting things in your boot, check around you to see if anyone seems to be paying you any attention. Similarly, if you are using your card either at the till or cash point machine,look back over your shoulder to make sure no-one is trying to see what numbers you are pressing or how much you are getting out. Don’t be afraid to politely but firmly ask the next person in the queue to give you more space. More often than not, the next person is just in a hurry and/or doesn’t realise they are so close. They will step back. If they don’t, go to a different place to make your transaction. It might take more time, but you will be safer. If the worst happens and your bag or keys are stolen, contact the police and start thinking about changing your locks and contact a locksmith as soon as you are home. It’s also party season, so be just as vigilant when you go out for drinks. Again, only take what you need. I have felt a finger slide across my back pocket looking for a wallet. Luckily, my wallet was in my front pocket and therefore safe. I was naïve at the time but interested and observed a group of five people moving around this particular nightclub. When they did strike it lucky, the wallet had been passed to the end of the line before the victim registered anything. Without going into details, it seemed the staff were in on the whole affair as well, so you can only rely on yourself to stay safe. If you have any questions regarding this topic, please feel free to contact using the details on my contacts page. Also if you have any tips to add, please use the comments section on this page. Thanks for reading!